Prince Harry settles court case with The Sun
Harry and former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson brought legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering by journalists and private investigators between 1996 to 2011.
NGN, which also ran the now-defunct News Of The World, had denied any unlawful activity took place at The Sun.
However, in a statement it said there had been “serious intrusion” including “incidents of unlawful activities” which it acknowledged had inflicted “damage” to “relationships, friendships and family”.
An up to 10-week trial was set to begin at the High Court in London on Tuesday, but three requests for adjournments and a Court of Appeal bid meant the case remained unopened.
On Wednesday morning, Harry’s barrister David Sherborne said the parties had “reached an agreement” and that NGN had offered an apology to the 40-year-old and would pay “substantial damages”.
The settlement is worth more than £10m, mostly in legal fees, a source familiar with the deal told news agency Reuters.
Lord Watson was also taking legal action against the publisher, but also settled his claim.
He called for NGN’s owner Rupert Murdoch to make a “personal apology” to the Duke of Sussex and to the King.
NGN said its agreements with Harry and Lord Watson “draws a line under the past” and “brings an end to this litigation”.
Outside the court, Mr Sherborne said it was a “monumental victory” and accused newspaper executives of running a “criminal enterprise” – and praised Harry and Lord Watson for showing “sheer resilience”.
Read more: What happens next?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Serious intrusion by The Sun’
In a statement read out in court, NGN offered Harry a “full and unequivocal apology” for the “serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life”.
It said these included “incidents of unlawful activities” carried out by private investigators working for The Sun.
NGN also apologised for the “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators” at the News Of The World.
In a lengthy statement, NGN apologised for the impact on Harry of the “extensive coverage and serious intrusion” into the private life of his late mother Diana, “in particular during his younger years”.
“We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages,” NGN added.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Apology for placing Lord Watson ‘under surveillance’
NGN also offered Lord Watson a “full and unequivocal apology” for the “unwarranted intrusion carried out into his private life during his time in government” by the News Of The World during the 2009-2011 period.
“This includes him being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at the News Of The World and those instructed by them,” it added.
“NGN also acknowledges and apologises for the adverse impact this had on Lord Watson’s family and has agreed to pay him substantial damages.”
NGN said information received in 2011 that details were being “passed covertly to Lord Watson from within News International” was “false” and apologised.
‘They ran a criminal enterprise’
Mr Sherborne said Harry’s victory proves “no one stands above the law” and NGN had shown “blatant disregard for the law”.
He said more than 100 private investigators had been “engaged” by NGN over at least 16 years on more than 35,000 occasions to intrude into the prince’s private life.
This isn’t the end of this story
Prince Harry all along wanted to make sure this wasn’t simply about the stories written about him, but wanted them in court to admit there had been some kind of cover-up by senior executives who, he says, had known unlawful activities were being carried out by reporters and private investigators.
It won’t have been fully fulfilled because the News Group Newspapers apology did not admit to breaking the law on that front. That phrase, “without any admission of illegality”, is the really important one.
Because of that, Prince Harry’s lawyer has said he wants the rule of law to take its course and that a dossier will be handed to the police now court proceedings have concluded.
A victory for Prince Harry today – but you can see that all claimants involved do want this to go further.
Mr Sherborne said: “At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said ‘when I was editor of The Sun we ran a clean ship’.
“Now, 10 years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise.
“Far from being relics of a distant past, many of those behind these unlawful practices remain firmly entrenched in senior positions today, both within News UK and other media outlets across the world, wielding editorial power and perpetuating the toxic culture in which they continue to thrive.
“This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling, without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them.”
The lawyer said Harry and Lord Watson support calls for the police and MPs to investigate “not only the unlawful activity now finally admitted, but the perjury and cover-ups along the way”.
Who is Rebekah Brooks?
Rebekah Brooks was the editor of the News Of The World from 2000 to 2003, before holding the same role at The Sun from 2003 to 2009.
When phone hacking accusations were made public, Ms Brooks herself was thrust into the spotlight.
She stood trial alongside fellow ex-News Of The World editor Andy Coulson for conspiracy to hack phones in 2014 – but while Coulson was found guilty, Ms Brooks was cleared.
She returned to News UK in 2015 and has been its chief executive since.
‘There are strong controls at our titles today’
NGN said its agreements with Harry and Lord Watson “draws a line under the past” and “brings an end to this litigation” and it was “in the interests of all the parties to come to a settlement”.
A spokesperson added: “Today, our apology to the Duke of Sussex includes an apology for incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun, not by journalists, during the period 1996-2011.
“There are strong controls and processes in place at all our titles today to ensure this cannot happen now.
“There was no voicemail interception on The Sun.”
Read more on Sky News:
‘Danger to life’ weather warning for parts of UK
Residents ‘shocked’ as rubbish pile blocks village
Experts called this a “huge victory” for Prince Harry and said the apology was “pretty sensational”.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond told Sky News: “When you read that apology, albeit without an admission of illegality, it is extraordinary.
“It allows him to move forward with his life now, which I think is where he’s going. He’s trying to not always look backwards.
“I think what was so precious to him was to have an apology for his late mother because he has spoken about her so much and how she was persecuted.”
Campaign group, Hacked Off, which calls for the reform of UK press self-regulation, said the result was “humiliating” for The Sun.
Board director Emma Jones said: “News Group has now spent over a billion pounds – funds which could have been put to much better use supporting journalism – fighting allegations which they have now largely admitted were accurate.
“The prime minister must get on with robust policy on press accountability without further delay.”
